Mr. China
by Tim Clissold · first published 2004
3mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2009–2018first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
The idea of China has always exerted a pull on the adventurous type. There is a kind of entrepreneurial Westerner who just can't resist it: red flags, a billion bicycles, and the largest untapped market on earth. What more could they want? After the first few visits, they start to feel more in tune and experience the first stirrings of a fatal ambition: the secret hope of becoming the Mr. China of their time. In the 1990s, China went through a miraculous transformation from a closed backwater to the workshop of the world. Many smart young men saw this transformation coming and mistook it for t
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
There's actually a really interesting book called Mr China by Tim Clissold. It was based about 20 years ago but a real eye opener for what it was/is like to do business there
on “The Macroeconomics of Chinese kleptocracy” ↗…truck. Or perhaps you'll just come to work one day and find yourself locked out and the business "under new management". That's more common. I strongly recommend aspiring China entrepreneurs read "Mr. China" by Tim Clissold. It's about one of the first major investment funds in China, and the problems they encountered. It's pretty mind blowing, and not atypical.
on “Why China Isn’t “The Next Silicon Valley”” ↗…with a US company to start investing heavily in China (mostly manufacturing). It is interesting because (aside from the regulation) it reads very much like this article (up to the paywall). The book is: Mr China by Tim Clissold
on “American Entrepreneurs Who Flocked to China Are Heading Home, Disillusioned” ↗